Twas the Chaos Before Christmas
by LoveConquers
Summary: Twas the night before Christmas, no one was sleeping, nary a one. Chaos and maddness seemed to abound; 'twould be an unforgettable day, by the time it was done. BS. Complete!
1. Default Chapter

Twas the Chaos Before Christmas

Disclaimer: Not mine! Mutant X belongs to Tribune and Marvel.

Summary: An AU Christmas story taking place in mid-season three. B/S.

Rating: PG

A/N: This started out as a one-shot, but has emerged into a short story with four chapters. I'm still working on the ending, but will try to post as quickly as possible. Humor is not my strong point in writing, so this is not my best work by any means, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless! It probably also doesn't help that I wrote this between distractions at the office, lol. :) Happy Holidays!

_"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…" --"Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Major Henry Livingston Jr._

Twas the Chaos Before Christmas—Chapter One

Sanctuary's halls were dark and silent in the cold winter night, freshly decorated for the coming holidays. In the corner where the Rec room intersected with the bedroom hallway stood a massive Douglas Fir tree, proudly standing watch in the still of the night.

Dim light pooled softly from under the closed door of the first bedroom, disturbed only by the timed blinking of colored lights, casting a play of shadow and light across the face of the feral sleeping soundly in her bed. She lay sprawled on her side, hands tucked under her chin, golden curls spilling out across the brightly colored comforter of her bed, unaware as the door slowly creaked open. Bright lights again twinkled and flashed, a holiday reflection in the mirror across the room as a shadowy figure stole through the opening before the door brushed shut with a quiet whisper. Footsteps hesitated as the floor squeaked, and her eyes sprung open, heart pounding, as a large hand was suddenly clamped over her mouth. A growl escaped her as a shadow loomed over her, pressing her shoulders back against the mattress, effectively pinning her to the bed with a muscular frame. She fought back, biting down on the offending fingers even as she rolled them, struggling for breath as she was suddenly flipped again. She brought her knee up, and the figure grunted, hold loosening momentarily as she flung her body across his, sheets tangling, ripping as she finally straddled him, pinning flailing legs with her thighs, holding his arms down above his head, both suddenly freezing in their silent struggle as a knock sounded at the door.

"Shalimar?" Jesse's concerned voice rose sharply through the night. "You ok?"

There was a pause as she stared down at the figure, breathing heavily.

"Shal?" Jesse's hand fell on the door knob.

She released the muscular arms, sitting up and looking over her shoulder to the door. "I'm fine, Jesse."

His hand fell away, and the door stayed closed. "Ok, good night then."

"Good night." She called in return, head swinging back around, eyes widening as fingers began trailing up her legs and splayed across her hips. His eyes stared up at her unabashedly as her thighs tightened with a warning squeeze, and she gasped as she was rolled again, finding herself flat on her back, arms pinned.

Her eyes flashed in indignation.

He laughed as he released her, sinking down as her arms stole around his neck.

"Brennan," she scolded as he began kissing her neck. "That was too close. Jesse could've walked right in."

Brennan pulled back, flashing a quick smile in the dim room before dropping a kiss on her nose. "Nah, I had it all under control."

"You startled me," Shalimar continued her reprimand with a grin as he settled more deeply against her.

"You bit me," He countered, shaking his head as she giggled, smiling softly as he ran the backs of his fingers across the smooth silkiness of her cheek.

"Not very hard," she shrugged in return, smirking as she turned her head, pressing a kiss to the offended knuckle, lips curving into a smile as his warm breath huffed against her neck a moment before his lips captured hers.

They hadn't planned on keeping it a secret. It had just sort of happened. They had been building towards the inevitable for years, tension and attraction growing until the tenuous balance was strained too tight, finally exploding one night as a heated argument turned passionate. They had kept it to themselves, unsure of what was happening, and before they knew it a few weeks had passed and it had turned into a game, an adventure shared only by the two of them.

There was something strangely exciting about keeping a secret.

Jesse yawned as he padded back down the hallway, carton of milk clutched in one hand. It was late, but he was having trouble sleeping. He yawned again, a jaw-wrenching crack, and he rubbed his cheek as he found himself drawn to the Christmas tree. The lights had been left on overnight, its festive presence comforting him. He chuckled softly under his breath as he reached out and straightened an ornament that threatened to fall, remembering their excursion up the mountain earlier that day as Shalimar dragged them deeper and deeper into the forest in search of the perfect tree. It had taken hours, and Brennan hadn't stopped complaining the entire way back; not that Jesse could blame him though, glad he hadn't been the one to drag the monstrous thing back behind him. What followed then had been hours more of decorating. And they still weren't done. Shalimar had a list just waiting for morning to come. Although none of them talked about it, it was their first Christmas without all of their family, and whether consciously or subconsciously, Shalimar was determined to uphold their traditions. He ran his thumb across the blunt end of a pine needle, smiling softly. He loved her for doing it. It was more important than ever they stay together. He turned, sipping again from the milk carton as he started back toward his bedroom. All the other bedrooms were dark, and he was surprised when a faint moan came from Shalimar's room. He paused in front of her door, shaking his head and passing on when he heard a muffled giggle and then nothing more; it must be some dream she was having. Both Brennan and Lexa's rooms were dark and quiet as he passed, and he yawned again as he walked into his own room, closing the door behind him. The lights continued to twinkle in the silence.

Morning dawned cold and clear, and Shalimar's eyes opened with an excited grin; Christmas was only two days away. Already, she could hear stirrings beyond her closed door and knew the others were up. A slight groan, a rustling of the sheets behind her, and her head whipped around, realizing Brennan was still in her room, and that they had overslept.

"Brennan." She whispered in consternation as she heard a shout of laughter not far away.

He lay on his back, lazily watching her. "Hey." He greeted her warmly, hand caressing her shoulder as he pushed himself up against the pillow.

"Hey," She murmured back, biting her lip at the pleasure that washed over her at the sight of his bare chest, unexpectedly shy in the morning light. She wasn't used to waking up with him.

"You're blushing," He waggled his fingers, giving her a teasing tickle as she reddened even more.

"No, I'm not."

He chuckled. "Yeah, you are."

She sniffed. "Nonsense."

"Come here," Brennan chuckled again, tugging on her hip and rolling her towards him. She landed flat against his chest, eyes wide as she stared up at him. "Good morning," His voice took on a husky timbre as she shivered delectably in his arms.

"Morning," She dipped her head, finger tracing an invisible pattern on his chest. "We overslept."

"So I see." His chest rumbled beneath her, and she nuzzled her nose into his neck, lips following the firm plane of his jaw as his hands rose to frame her face. "Shalimar." He brought her head up, pressing a kiss against her upturned mouth. "I think I could get used to this," He mumbled between kisses.

She pulled back at his words. "Do you think we should tell the others?"

"I don't know," He ran his thumb over her lower lip, swollen from his kisses. His mouth quirked slightly, "I'm not sure I'm ready to share us just yet."

"Yeah." Shalimar smiled tenderly, finding herself sinking in the warmth of his gaze, "I know the feeling." Emboldened, she grazed her fingers back down his chest, following the motion a moment later with her mouth, nipping lightly at his shoulder.

He shuddered beneath her touch, fingers sliding just under the edge of her camisole. _He didn't know if he'd ever be ready to share her._ "Uh, Shal," He struggled to form coherent thought, "Aren't we supposed to finish the decorating this morning?"

"Hmm," Her lips vibrated as they traced his collarbone.

He caught her mouth, grinning wickedly. "How long do you think before they miss us?"

The sound of a quick knock and her door turning brought them both upright. "Not long enough," She hissed in resignation, desperately shoving him over the edge and quickly turning toward the door just as he thumped to the floor behind the bed with a startled exclamation. She winced slightly at the sound, smiling at Lexa as she paused in the doorway.

"What was that?" Lexa looked confused.

"What?" Shalimar stared back at her, praying she wouldn't hear Brennan's heavy breathing. The man breathed loud enough to wake the dead.

"Never mind," Lexa shook her head after a moment. "Sorry to bother you, but Jesse's starting to get antsy out here." She grinned. "The geek's kind of cute when he's impatient."

Shalimar chuckled, sensing the true affection Lexa had for him. "Yeah Lex, I'll be right there."

"You ok, Shal?" Lexa took a step into the room. "It's not like you to oversleep."

"Just fine." Shalimar hastily jumped up from the bed, cutting Lexa off as she heard Brennan's quick intake of breath as he flattened himself further to the ground. She grasped her elbow, turning her back toward the door. "Tell Jesse I'll be right there."

"Alright." Lexa shot Shalimar a strange look, but turned to leave, stopping in the doorway. "Oh, I almost forgot. Have you seen Brennan?"

"Brennan?" Her voice came out in a squeak.

"Yeah, he must've overslept as well. I'll have to track him down next."

"I'll find him." Shalimar offered quickly. Too quickly.

"Ok." Lexa watched her for a moment longer, shaking her head as she left the room.

Shalimar closed the door softly behind it, leaning her forehead against it in relief.

Brennan's head popped up from behind the bed, brows furrowing as he saw her shoulders shaking. "Shal?"

She turned towards him, lips twitching with suppressed laughter. "I suppose you had that one all under control as well?"

"Funny." He rolled his eyes, rubbing his elbow as he stood back up. "The rate we're going, we won't have to tell them, they'll figure it out just fine on their own."

"Yeah," She strolled towards him, meeting him in the middle of the room, arms circling around his neck. "Found you," She whispered with a knowing smile.

Brennan chuckled, lowering his head to kiss her sweetly before reluctantly pulling away with a groan. He cupped her cheeks, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. "How'd this happen, Shalimar? How'd I get so lucky?"

Her stomach dropped at the look in his eyes. His heart was racing; she could feel it pulsing between them as her own thumped loudly in her ears, throbbing with the newness of it all. _How was it that they had survived for so long without knowing this feeling between them? Had it only been two weeks?_ It felt like years, but yet it felt like minutes. She leaned into his touch, shivering as his thumb began tracing a slow pattern on her cheek, his lips brushing over hers with gentle longing.

"I can't believe we're actually here," Shalimar finally broke the silence between them.

Brennan pushed a thick curl behind her ear, running his fingers through her hair, tangling them in the silky mass. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Her eyes lifted at his husky admission, searching his with nervous wonderment as she sensed he had more to say.

"Shalimar," He groaned her name, hands moving back to her face, brushing stray strands off her forehead with aching tenderness. "Shal, I--I think—"

Her comlink trilled loudly in interruption.

They stared at each other with incredulity as Jesse's voice called her name.

"Of course." Brennan groaned, muttering sarcastically under his breath as he dropped his hands. "Remind me to kill him later, huh?"

Shalimar's lips twisted distractedly with a small smile, heart still pounding with secret hope at his near confession. _It was going to be a confession, wasn't it?_ She looked back up at Brennan as he pulled her into a hug, setting his chin on top of her head as he chuckled wryly. Her arms tightened around him in silent understanding.

"Shalimar," Jesse impatiently called again. "What's taking you so long? Hurry up and get Brennan already, will you?"

Brennan pulled back at the words, eyebrows rising in wicked amusement. "Yeah, Shal, come get me."

She slapped his chest at his audacity, clamping a hand over his mouth as he started to laugh. "I'm working on it, Jesse." _Believe me, I'm working on it._ She met Brennan's gaze with a longsuffering sigh as she cut the connection. "I suppose we better go."

"Yeah," Brennan groaned, hands scrubbing his face. "Is the coast clear?"

She tilted her head, listening. "Yeah, the hallway's empty."

"Thanks." He dropped a final kiss on her mouth, pulling her into a deep hug, resting her head on his chest. His feet shuffled slightly, heart speeding up beneath her ear, and for a moment she thought he might try to finish his earlier sentence. She tensed in anticipation.

Brennan hesitated, pressing a kiss into her hair as he pulled back. "Merry Christmas, Shal." His whisper touched her, chocolate brown eyes infinitely tender, and she laughed as he flashed a final, roguish grin before disappearing out the door. She stood in the doorway, watching until he ducked into his own room unseen; missing him already. Each paused in their doorways for a moment, lips twitching with secretive smiles before pushing off the frame, getting ready for the day. Their doors swished quietly shut behind them, and then the hallway again fell silent, save for the Christmas tree which winked cheerfully in merry delight.


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm so sorry for the late posting, I'm still working on this one, and it's slow going because of a busier-than-usual schedule. Sorry about that! Thank you so much Anne, Kerry, Carly, Courtney, Rachel, ShalFan, hi, mxangel, blackpanther, Chris, MariShal, mfkngst, Rain. I can't thank you enough for all your encouragement!! Mayra, glad you laughed! Thank you! Fiery Feral, thank you! Can't wait to read your story! CatJerica, oops, I never knew the order of their bedrooms! :) Thank you! I wish I wasn't so rushed in writing this story, it's not coming out quite like I had hoped, but here's the next chapter for you anyway. It's a longer one at least! :) Thank you!

_"…When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash…"_

Twas the Chaos Before Christmas—Chapter Two

Shalimar didn't know how much longer she could stand it. Even though he was across the table from her, Brennan's gaze seemed to burn into her, scorching her skin every time he looked at her, which judging from the way her body felt flushed with heat, was quite often. She hastily took another swallow of orange juice.

"You ok, Shal?" Jesse paused mid-sentence, glancing at her askance as she drained her glass in one long gulp.

"Yeah, I'm just tired," Shalimar murmured, realizing how true it really was. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Ah," Jesse nodded as he took a bite of toast, "That explains the sounds I heard."

Shalimar immediately froze, deep red spreading high across her cheeks.

"Er...sounds?" Brennan finally managed to squeak out.

"Yeah," Jesse barely looked up from his plate as he continued eating. "I got up to get a glass of water and could hear Shalimar from all the way out into the hallway."

She couldn't look at him; she didn't know if she would start laughing hysterically or die of mortification.

"That's why I checked on you the first time, Shal." Jesse finally looked up from his food to glance at her sympathetically. "It sounded like you were having a nightmare."

Relief flooded her. "Uh, yeah. I had quite the dream last night."

Brennan snickered until Jesse frowned at him in reprimand. "Sorry." He straightened in his chair, eyes almost daring Shalimar as he looked straight at her. "So, what was your dream about?"

Shalimar narrowed her eyes back at him. "Nothing."

"Huh, that's too bad," Brennan casually lifted a forkful of eggs into his mouth. "Because I had quite the dream last night as well, for a moment there I thought perhaps we were dreaming about the same thing."

"Not very likely, Brennan," Jesse answered automatically, focus already back on his breakfast.

Lexa grinned, "Besides, Shalimar had a nightmare; it doesn't take a genius to figure out what _you_ were probably dreaming about."

Brennan frowned at Lexa as she chuckled.

"So," Shalimar cleared her throat as she hastily changed the subject, fighting the blush still threatening to raise, "Everyone done eating? We still have a lot of work to do yet today."

"I know." Jesse groaned, "We've been waiting for you, remember?"

Brennan's eyes again fastened on Shalimar's in wicked amusement. "Can't believe we both overslept."

_The cad._ She raised her eyebrows. "I'll just have to make sure I don't _dream _again tonight."She smiled in satisfaction as Brennan squirmed slightly in his seat.

"So what's the plan?" Jesse drummed his fingers impatiently on the table. "How long do you think this will take?"

"Do you have somewhere else to be?" Lexa laughed at his obvious reluctance.

Shalimar felt her body respond as Brennan's foot suddenly brushed against her leg from under the table. She peeked at him from under her lashes, sucking in a breath as his toe rose further up to caress her knee.

"I've got work to do on the computer," Jesse's attention was still on Lexa. "And I wanted to head into town later."

Shalimar's breath shuddered as Brennan's toe suddenly disappeared, body protesting the loss of connection.

"What for?"

Lexa's voice hummed faintly in her mind, eyes glued on Brennan as he pushed back from the table and stood up. _His jeans_...She swallowed. They were riding low on his hips, and as he stretched his arms over his head, she caught a teasing glimpse of black boxers and firm stomach muscles. She sighed as his shirt settled back into place and her view disappeared.

"...Christmas shopping."

"Huh?" She blinked, turning towards Jesse as she realized he was looking at her. "What did you say?"

Jesse shook his head. "I said I need to do some Christmas shopping. How long do you think your decorating will take?"

"Oh." She found her eyes drawn back toward Brennan. "Why don't you go ahead and go now."

Jesse looked at her incredulously. "But yesterday you insisted we all help--"

"Hey, Jess," Brennan interjected, "You sure you want to argue this one?" He smiled as Jesse's mouth clamped shut. "You might as well go too, Lexa."

Lexa looked back and forth between Brennan and Shalimar for a moment. "Sure." Her voice hinted at amusement.

Shalimar tore her eyes from Brennan, flustered again as he shot her a suggestive smile.

"Shalimar," Jesse got up from his chair, placing his hand on her forehead. "You sure you're ok? You look flushed."

_She was going to kill Brennan._ "Fine," She managed to squeak out.

"Ok, see you later then." Jesse shook his head, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head before following after Lexa.

The table was quiet as footsteps faded and then there was the slight rumble as the engine of the helix sounded.

"No dreams tonight, huh?" Brennan finally spoke.

Shalimar threw her napkin at him, laughing as it hit him upside the head.

"Hey, Shal." Brennan's eyes suddenly deepened, causing her stomach to flutter nervously.

"Yeah?"

"You really want to decorate right now?"

She caught her breath as he smiled ather,smiling back. Before shecould think beyondthe bloodpounding in her ears, they werejumping up from the table and stumbling down the hallway, almost knocking over the Christmas tree. Brennan caught it with one hand, shoving it back upright before continuing past. Ornaments swayed dizzily back and forth as the tree blinked happily after them.

Jesse eased back in his seat as he set the autopilot, turning toward Lexa. "I'm telling you, there's something wrong with her, she's not acting herself lately."

Lexa's lips twitched. "No kidding."

"You know what it is?"

Lexa laughed. "Don't worry, you'll figure it out."

Sanctuary's halls didn't get decorated. Boxes in various stages of unpacking littered the lofty space, waiting as the morning stretched on into late afternoon. In the corner of the workout room, next to the tanning bed, bubbled a large Jacuzzi. Two heads lay propped against its side, relaxing in the fragrant steam. The faint scent of vanilla lingered in the air, and scattered candles lent a romantic light, casting flickering shadows across the room. When Jesse had suggested a Jacuzzi when they were remodeling a few years ago, Brennan hadn't been overly excited at the idea. Water wasn't normally his favorite thing, but there were times when he made an exception to those feelings; this being one of them. He sighed appreciatively as Shalimar settled her back more firmly against his chest and ran her hands up and down his arms as they circled lightly around her.

Shalimar smiled as she turned slightly, curling into Brennan's chest, yawning. She felt like she could fall asleep, she was so tired and so relaxed at the moment. Brennan's arms tightened around her as she leaned her head into the crook of his shoulder, marveling at how well they fit together. This day was like a gift, the first time they could really relax together and not worry about being interrupted. _For a few hours at least_, she mused, shivering as Brennan's fingers began tracing the strap of her bikini.

"This is nice."

She squeezed his arms in agreement.

"You know, ever since I learned the last time I did this was with your clone, I've had this desire to try it again." His arms rose, lifting her hair off her neck and kissing the hairline with gentle nudges. "With the real you of course, since I recognized all the...possibilities."

Her shoulders shook as she chuckled, lightly elbowing him as she leaned further against his chest. "Big difference this time, Brennan." She turned in his arms, pressing a soft kiss into his mouth as she ran her hands languishly up his wet chest. "I'm not trying to kill you right now."

Brennan groaned as shivers of arousal ran down his spine. "I wouldn't be too sure of that, Shalimar." He tightened his hold on her, both suddenly freezing as Jesse's voice hollered, interrupting them yet again, in person this time.

"Jesse!" Shalimar hissed the obvious. "He's coming this way!"

"No kidding," Brennan grumbled as she pulled back, head tilted, listening, tensing as his footsteps neared.

"Get down!" She pushed frantically on Brennan's head.

"What?" He sputtered as she almost shoved him under the water.

"Shalimar?" Jesse's voice came from around the corner.

_"Brennan!"_ She tugged again on his arms.

"Why me?" Brennan balked rebelliously, staring down at the water.

"Do you really want Jesse to find you in all this?" She raised her brows, gesturing to the scented bubbles and glowing candles surrounding them.

Brennan dunked under without another word.

Shalimar smirked as she turned towards the door. "Hey, Jesse," She casually greeted him as he poked his head around the corner, leaning her arms over the side.

"Hey, Shal." Jesse stopped short as he walked into the room, looking around in surprise. "Wow, romantic." He teasingly crossed his arms. "You look like you're waiting for someone."

"Maybe I am," She answered suggestively, mouth curving into her trademark smile, teasing him. Brennan glowered at her from under the water, and her smile widened further.

Jesse looked taken back for a moment, shaking his head and laughing after a beat. "Uh-huh. I can see you've been hard at work while I was gone."

She laughed. "You weren't supposed to be back yet. I was planning on being hard at work when you walked in."

"Busted." Jesse grinned back. "This will be even better if I find Brennan laboring away, decorating the halls."

She laughed again, leaning her elbows against the edge, resting her chin on her hands. "Not sure where exactly he is right now." She winced as she accidentally bumped Brennan under the water. "He's ah, probably hiding out somewhere, I'm sure."

"Wait until you see what I found today." Jesse's eyes lit up as he held up his shopping bags.

"Ah, sure." She lightly kicked Brennan's hand away when he tugged impatiently on her foot. "Why don't I come find you in a little while?" She smiled at Jesse as he nodded in agreement. Her shoulders relaxed, releasing breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Brennan's hand tugged again, with desperation this time.

_Need some air down here, Shal. _

She could practically hear his thoughts, and she found herself holding her breath again as Jesse turned away. Brennan yanked harder on her leg, and she slipped slightly, catching herself with her elbow on the edge of the tub as Jesse turned at the splash, starting toward her in concern.

"Shalimar?"

"Oops, clumsy me." She quickly pulled herself back up, waving Jesse off. "Go on, I'll come find you soon."

"Ok," Jesse shot her a strange look as she glared down at the water. She quickly looked back up at him, smiling innocently. He shook his head, turning away.

Brennan came surging up as soon as her fingers tapped his head, gasping and sputtering with exasperation. _"Shal!"_

"Sorry, Brennan." She ran her hands along his chest as he grumbled. Her lips quirked as she took in his pitiful appearance, hair plastered to his scalp, skin bright pink from the heat. "You ok?"

"Yeah." His own lips quivered as the humor of the situation finally hit him. "Just don't expect me to generate sparks anytime soon."

She grinned, ignoring the tempting innuendo as she pushed his dripping hair back off his forehead. "Thanks, Brennan."

"For what?"

"For never letting me get bored."

He shook his head, laughing as his hands lifted out of the water and framed her face. "I think that's supposed to be my line." He lowered his head, pressing a soft kiss against her smiling lips. His thumb stroked her cheek, and she shivered at the wet touch, leaning in and kissing him back. They were silent for long moments, lost in the taste of each other, reluctant to let go. Her fingers curled, feeling the familiar wave of dizziness as he deepened the kiss, stomach dropping and fluttering, pulse slamming madly in her throat. She hummed with disappointment when he eventually pulled back, resting his forehead against hers with a raspy breath.

"I can't get enough of you, Shal."

Her heart stopped, then pounded erratically again at his confession. Her fingers slid across his strong jaw, rasping against afternoon stubble, and then tangling in the hair at the back of his neck. She felt heady with awareness; awareness of him; awareness that someone could walk in at any moment and catch them. He pulled her into a hug, burying his head in her shoulder, arms holding her tenderly, firmly. Anticipation rolled off him in waves, and she trembled, sensing his nervous energy. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again.

"What is it, Brennan?" She finally whispered, pressing a kiss into neck

He pulled back, searching her gaze, brown eyes dark with emotion. "Shal, I--"

_"Hey, Brennan!"_

They both jumped as Lexa's voice came hollering down the hallway. _Not again._ Brennan glared murderously toward the doorway. Shalimar's eyes widened as she heard a footfall and realized just how close she was to finding them. Without thinking, she took a deep breath and disappeared under the water just as Lexa rounded the corner.

Too late, she realized what Lexa would find.

"Well, well," Lexa's brows raised as she stopped in her tracks, lips twitching as she caught the fragrant scent of vanilla and a hint of something flowery.

"You got a problem?" Brennan crossed his wet arms defensively, refusing to show embarrassment.

"No, no problem." Lexa's hands landed on her hips. "Just wanted to get your help moving some heavy boxes, but never mind, I can see you're busy." She smirked and turned on her heel, dark hair floating out behind her. Shalimar's head popped back up just as Lexa's laughter could be heard echoing back towards them. She couldn't help it, she joined in.

"Come on, Brennan." She stood up, smiling widely as she held out a hand. "We better get out there before they start comparing stories."

Evening shadows fell long across Sanctuary by the time they finally got around to decorating. Jesse had purposely dimmed the overhead lighting, and Christmas lights sparkled with holiday cheer. Shalimar yawned hugely, rubbing her eyes as she stared down at the final box of decorations. After working for several hours, they were finally almost done. She was exhausted, but the effort had been worth it. Sanctuary had never looked more beautiful. Pine garland and holly were strewn everywhere possible, white lights twined around the fragrant boughs, tying in perfectly with the huge tree they had put up yesterday. One more strand, and all the lights would be hung. She bent over, pulling the tangled strand of lights out of the box, frowning as she worked on a stubborn knot in the cord.

"You look tired." Brennan's hands fell on her shoulders as he came up behind her, rubbing gently.

"Yeah." She smiled as she leaned into him slightly. "I think I'll sleep well tonight."

He smiled against her hair, hands sliding unobtrusively down her arms, cupping her elbows. "Ok if I join you? Just sleep, no…_dreaming."_

She chuckled, leaning further back into him to whisper in his ear. "Too bad." She heard his sharp intake of breath and grinned at him over her shoulder before reluctantly stepping forward, out of his embrace. "Want to help me hang the last of the lights?" She spoke in a normal voice.

"Sure." Brennan readily agreed, watching as she stepped onto a waiting ladder, admiring the curve of her hip as she paused halfway up to look at him over her shoulder.

She grinned as she caught him looking at her, indicating him over with a flash of her eyes. He stepped over, holding the lights for her as she climbed higher up.

"Careful, Shalimar," Jesse paused to look up at her as he walked by. "That ladder's in bad shape. I keep meaning to replace it."

"Don't worry," Shalimar called back to him as she strained to reach to her right to hang the light strand. "I've got it all under control." She grinned in triumph as got the light strand in place. "I never fall."

She twisted on the ladder, about to climb back down when the entire thing shuddered and with a loud crack, dropped from beneath her.

One minute she was in the air, and the next she was falling.

She blinked, barely able to form the thought in her mind before she crunched to the ground, lights tangling around her and creating a loud clatter on the slate. "That didn't hurt too badly," She mused to herself, just as a chunk of ladder came down on top of her. Pain exploded as something struck her head; she heard the running of feet and then all went dark.

_"Shalimar! __Shalimar, please wake up." _

Faint pleading was the first thing she became aware of, the desperate tone coming across even in the roaring darkness of her head. _Brennan._ He sounded scared. She sought out his voice, turning her head toward the sound.

"Shalimar?"

His voice hitched, and her brows furrowed at the fearful hope. _What was he so afraid of?_ She forced one eye open, squinting as a blurry patch of dark swarmed over her. It took her a moment to realize it was Brennan's head. She blinked tiredly; he smiled tumultuously at the action.

"Shalimar."

Another head swarmed into view, and she recognized the fuzzy blonde head as Jesse. His warning of the ladder came back to her just as she remembered her undignified fall. She groaned, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"Hey, hey," Hands tried to still her movements. "Careful."

She ignored them both, throwing her legs over the edge of what she recognized as one of the lab beds. _She had been out long enough for them to carry her to the lab_. She frowned grumpily at the thought, gripping the edge of the bed as she fought the dizziness. It felt like her stomach was going to come up through her nose.

"You need to lay back down, Shalimar."

She grunted at Jesse's words, not moving.

Brennan and Jesse exchanged resigned glances. They knew better than to argue with a stubborn feral.

"You feeling ok, Shal?" Brennan decided to try a different approach.

"Yeah," She moaned as she held her head. "I'm fine, just embarrassed. I can't believe I fell. I never fall."

"So you said." Jesse reminded gently, looking up from the scan he was studying. "But accidents can still happen."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. All I care about right now is getting into my own bed." She yawned hugely, wincing at the pain in her head, wanting nothing more than to be alone at that moment. "I think I can sleep for a week."

"Sorry, Shalimar." Jesse clucked his tongue as he closed out the scan. "Can't let you do that."

"What?" She stared up at him. "Why not?"

Jesse smiled at her petulant tone. "I'm sorry, but you've got a mild concussion. I'll need you to stay awake for me for a while."

"What?" She repeated flatly, fighting the dragging sensation on her eyelids. "For how long?"

Brennan winced, recognizing the moody glint in her eyes. A tired, crabby feral was even worse than a stubborn one.

"How long, Jess?" She glared at him when he didn't answer immediately.

Jesse cleared his throat. "About eighteen hours."

_Eighteen hours?!_ Shalimar stared at him as if he had sprouted a second head, eyes narrowing until he squirmed slightly in his seat.

"Come on, Shal," Brennan tried to cheer her up, placing an arm around her shoulders. "It's not that bad. Time will go by before you know it."

"We'll help keep you company." Lexa spoke up for the first time from across the room. "We won't leave you alone for a minute."

Shalimar wilted, burying her head in Brennan's shoulder with a shuddering groan.

It was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Thank you so much to Courtney, Mxfan214, Tigereyes320, Kerry, Rain, ShalFan, Farah, Fiery Feral, Rachel. I'm so glad you are still enjoying the story! Mayra, thank you! Your review made my day as well! :) CatJerica, between us, I am exaggerating a bit for humor. :) Thank you for the feedback! Here's chapter three for you, I had to again rush to get it written, so sorry about that. I'll try to get the final chapter posted early in the week. Thank you!

_"…And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound…" _

Twas the Chaos Before Christmas—Chapter Three

It was amazing what boredom at four am could drive a person to do. Brennan frowned darkly as he found himself standing on his head, legs wobbling above him as he struggled to keep balance. Across the room, Jesse was in much the same position. Lexa was slumped against the wall next to him, sound asleep.

"What's the time, Shal?" Jesse's voice was strained as he fought to defy gravity for a little bit longer.

"Going on three minutes." Shalimar announced, shaking her head as Brennan's legs kicked frantically as he tilted precariously to the right. He looked like a drunken grasshopper, she finally decided, a smile flitting across her tired face.

_Mission__ accomplished_. Jesse congratulated himself triumphantly when he saw her finally laugh. "So who do you think will fall first?"

"Hard to say." Shalimar murmured dryly, glancing between Jesse and Brennan. One was grinning like an idiot and the other was muttering death threats under his breath. _All for her._ She cringed, head pounding as she moved too fast, whipping around at the sound of a loud exclamation. Brennan was swaying dangerously, body finally betraying him as he crumbled to the ground like a limp rag doll.

"Ow." His strangled clamor ended with a whimper.

"Ha-ha!" Jesse exclaimed, kicking down from his headstand, "I win the bet!"

Brennan shook his head as he rubbed his elbow. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"Well, it's working." Jesse shrugged with a grin. "Shalimar's still awake."

"Some of us are anyway," Shalimar groaned, frowning grumpily at Lexa as she snorted in her sleep.

"Hey, at least we're all here for you," Jesse countered, brushing Lexa's hair off her forehead with a small smile. He straightened back up, turning and holding out a hand to help Brennan to his feet. "You owe me, buddy," His grin widened as Brennan glowered. "I'll let you know when I decide what it will be."

"Yeah." Brennan grunted, clamping Jesse on the shoulder. "Take your time with that one." They smiled as they turned, stopping short at the sight of Shalimar leaning back against the wall, eyes closed.

"Shalimar," Jesse's voice immediately reprimanded her.

"What?" It took her a moment, but when she finally responded her voice carried her irritation.

"Open your eyes for me, Shal." Jesse showed no mercy.

Her eyes slitted open. "Happy?"

"Come on, Shal." Brennan kneeled down in front of her. "We're just concerned for you, you know that." He risked squeezing her knee, cutting them off from view with his body.

"I know." Shalimar finally relented with a sigh, resting her hand over his for a brief second. His eyes warmed at the touch, sending shivers down her back. "I'm still awake." She raised her voice, including Jesse as she stood to her feet. "I'm tired, but I'm still awake."

"You're almost halfway done, Shalimar." Jesse volunteered, looking at his watch. "Just need to make it until lunch time or so and then you can sleep the afternoon away."

_Lunchtime? Afternoon?_ She made a strangled sound in the back of her throat.

Brennan chuckled at her expression. "You know Jesse, it doesn't make sense for all of us to stay up and lose sleep. Why don't you and Lexa go to bed, I'll stay up and watch Shal."

"I don't know," Jesse hesitated, hands on his hips. "I don't know if I trust Shalimar to behave herself."

"Hey!" Shalimar protested, mouth wide open in a yawn.

"Lexa's already out anyway."

Jesse followed Brennan's line of sight, chuckling. Lexa's head had fallen forward, and she slumped precariously. "Ok," he relented, pointing at Shalimar. "But you be nice."

_Humph._ She crossed her arms, pointed nail tapping deliberately downward.

"I mean it, Shal." Jesse's voice was muffled as he bent to hoist Lexa over his shoulder. "Be good!" His voice trailed after him as he walked off.

_Finally._ Shalimar turned away from Brennan with a wicked grin. _This was going to be too easy. _She sank down onto the couch, looking up at Brennan as he walked up behind her.

"You ok, Shal?" His hands fell on her shoulders, rubbing gently. "How's the head?"

"I'm fine, Brennan." She leaned into his touch. "No side effects at all. I really think Jesse's being overly cautious."

"I know, but we just want to be sure." He bent over her, pressing a kiss to her temple. "We can't risk anything happening to you."

"Yeah."

Brennan smiled as her lower lip pushed out, looking dangerously close to a pout. "Hey, come on." He bent further over, capturing her pouty lips in a kiss, attempting to cajole her into a better mood. "You heard Jesse, already halfway over with; you'll be sound asleep before you know it."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, only nine more hours to go."

"Shal." He gave her shoulders a final squeeze, coming around to sit beside her.

She shrugged, leaning forward to make room as he sat down in the corner of the couch, immediately settling back against him as he opened his arms to her. _She was so tired._ She dropped her head against his chest, breathing deeply as his arms closed her in, wrapping her in comforting warmth. There was something about him that soothed her like nothing else could. Even before they had gotten together, she had been drawn to him. Something deep within her recognized him; she couldn't explain it, but she had a strong sense of coming home when she was near him. Their connection could not be denied; though exhausted beyond measure, her heart picked up a beat as his hands gently stroked her back. Her eyes burned, and she closed them with relief, body finally relaxing under his gentle ministrations. She knew she could easily get him to let her sleep.

"Feel better?" His voice murmured to her after long moments.

"Hmm," she hummed softly, not moving, blissfully drowsy.

"Shal," He shook her a little, "Stay awake for me."

Her brows drew together in annoyance, and she shifted slightly, digging in deeper.

"Shalimar," Brennan jostled her again. "Come on."

She growled lowly in her throat, irritation returning full force. _So much for letting her sleep._ Her eyes felt gritty as she cracked them open, the feeling of warmth quickly dissipating as tiredness set up a dull ache of pain in her temple. As much as she loved being with him, she couldn't handle this anymore. Unbeknownst to him, her eyes narrowed, glowing with the fierce determination of the exceedingly desperate.

"Wake up, Shal." Brennan shook her again, fingers wrapping in her hair and giving a quick tug of impatience. He was tired himself, and not in the mood to fight at five o'clock in the morning. _Why did she have to be so obstinate?_ He tugged again. "Shalimar!"

"What?" She suddenly shot up, scowling at him.

His own temper flared. "Will you just stop?"

"I'm not doing anything!"

He raised his eyebrow.

She gritted her teeth, glaring. "Fine."

"Fine." He crossed his arms, glaring back.

Silence stretched between them, both too stubborn to be the first to relent.

Brennan leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, kneading his forehead; frustrated. Shalimar was the most stubborn creature he had ever met. Of all the women in all the world, why did he have to fall in love with this one? _Love._ He stiffened, eyes closing. He hadn't been able to say the word out loud yet. If they weren't getting interrupted, they were fighting. The past two weeks had been a roller coaster of emotions, full of headstrong, frustrating, overwhelming, breathtaking emotions. He couldn't remember when he had ever felt so alive. He sighed, forcing his irritation aside. They were both just overly exhausted he finally decided, glancing over at her, stricken when he saw silent tears coursing down her cheeks.

"Shal?" Guilt struck him, and he berated himself for losing his temper. "Come on, Shal, please don't cry." He reached over, pulling her close. She stiffened for a moment before giving in, pushing her nose into his shoulder as his arms closed around her.

"I'm sorry, Shal." Brennan whispered into her hair.

She sniffed, pressing her face closer against him as she sensed his emotions beginning to waver.

"I can't stand it when you cry." Brennan continued, hands stroking her hair. "You know, this is actually pretty silly. It's been hours and you feel fine."

Her heart fluttered at his words. _She was so close._ She hid a smile of triumph against his chest. At long last, she would get to sleep. Her exhausted mind grasped desperately at the thought, real tears of relief prickling her haggard eyes.

Brennan pulled back, hands framing her cheeks, thumbing away the new tears. "Why don't you go lay down for a little while at least. I can wake you up in a little while."

_Sleep!_ Her heart leapt, and she fought to keep a smile off her face. "Thanks, Brennan." Her voice held real gratitude, and Brennan fairly melted at the look in her eyes.

"Shalimar Fox!"

Jesse's stern voice broke them apart, and she sprang back to the other side of the couch, looking up in frustration as he rounded the corner. "I heard that."

"What?" She pasted on an innocent expression.

"You are not going to sleep yet." Jesse shook his head at Brennan. "And you, you might as well go to bed for all the help you are. I'll keep an eye on her. I've got work to do anyway."

"She's really tired, Jess." Brennan looked hesitantly at Shalimar.

"It's for her own good, Brennan, you know that." Jesse reminded.

"Yeah." Brennan sighed, running a hand through his hair when Shalimar mewed in exasperation. "I'm sorry, Shal, but Jesse's right."

She frowned grumpily at him, nerves frazzled as dreams of blessed sleep fizzled and died.

"Be nice to him, Shal," Brennan whispered as he stood up and pressed a kiss against her hair.

She watched him leave with narrowed eyes, waiting until he was gone and summoning up a big breath. "Jesse," She started, turning to him with large, tear-filled eyes.

"Don't even try pointing those doe eyes at me, Shalimar," Jesse sternly crossed his arms, "Brennan may be weak when it comes to you, but I am not. I've had years of experience building up a defense."

She glared at him.

"Now come on," He cheerfully ignored her, knowing how truly tired and desperate she was, "Step away from the couch. There are too many pillows and soft things. You can come to the lab with me and help me work."

She growled, pushing off the couch and following him in defeat.

Eight more hours to go.

Her eyelids gradually grew heavier as she stared at the computer in front of her. She glanced unobtrusively at Jesse; he was engrossed in something, attention fully on his computer. _Humph._ She turned her back, closing her eyes.

"Shalimar."

She squinted her eyes back open with a groan.

Six more hours to go.

Like a cat on edge, her hair stuck out in odd angles, evidence of multiple attempts to lay her head down. _How did he always know?_ She glared at Jesse's back with bleary-eyed annoyance. She could happily kill him for a few hours of sleep. He chuckled, talking under his breath as he typed; immersed in one of his chatrooms. With whisper-soft movements, she eased out of her chair, eyeing the doorway to freedom.

"Shalimar."

She plopped back down with a glower.

Jesse shook his head, looking up at her. "Come here, Shal." He held out his hand. She eyed him suspiciously, but crossed the room over to him. He pulled up another chair next to his, waiting for her to sit down. With a few clicks, he opened a new window on his computer, and Shalimar gasped when pictures of her and Jesse in their gawky teenaged years suddenly appeared on the screen. Despite everything, she chuckled at the sight.

"Look at you," She leaned into him, "I forgot how skinny you were."

"Yeah," Jesse laughed, "I forgot how big your hair was back then." He glanced over at her wild hair, "Kind of how it looks right now." He grinned as she slapped at him, pulling her into a side hug.

"Show me more." Her eyes were dull with fatigue, but they showed interest for the first time in several hours.

Jesse settled her back against his side, clicking on more pictures.

She laughed softly, laying her head on his shoulder, sighing. "Love you, Jess."

"Love you too, Shal." He pressed a kiss into her hair, feeling a sense of pride when this time her eyes stayed open, wondering how long he could keep her interest. His eyes strayed to the clock, swallowing hard.

Four more hours to go.

At nine o'clock, Brennan reappeared, slightly taken back by the hunched shoulders and open desperation on her face as she huddled miserably across from Jesse. It was amazing how much better he could feel after even only a few hours of sleep, but he didn't dare voice his thoughts aloud as Shalimar looked at him with hollowed blankness. He cringed, forcing a smile.

"Good morning, Shal."

Daggers shot out of her eyes in response.

"I thought we could go out for breakfast." Brennan tried again. "By the time we got back, you could go to sleep."

She blinked slowly.

"Good idea, Brennan." Jesse spoke up, pushing back from his chair. "It will help make the time go by faster."

"Exactly." Brennan smiled encouragingly.

She debated making a run for it. She could outrun both of them…_find a warm, quiet place_...if only she was awake enough to move.

"Almost done, Shalimar," Jesse gave her shoulders a squeeze as he walked by her. "I'll do a quick scan when you get back, and we'll see how things look."

She withered, head falling on the table. She was never going to get to sleep ever again.

Desperate times called for desperate measures, Brennan decided as he pulled into a little diner that was cheerfully decorated with tacky Christmas decorations. Anything and everything big and plastic was planted around the restaurant, blinking holiday lights enough to blind them as they walked inside. Brennan held open the door for Shalimar, eyes narrowing in on a plump Santa waiting in the corner; the reason he chose this particular restaurant.

"Look, Shal." He gently steered her with a hand on her shoulder. "Santa's here."

She huffed under her breath, but still her hand rose up to smooth down her crazy hair, smiling back as Santa heartily greeted them with a wave. Brennan chose a booth that allowed her to face the Christmas cheer, sliding into the seat opposite her, smiling as the tired lines on her face softened as she relaxed. Though she looked half-dead, she was still amazingly beautiful, and Brennan felt again the wonder of the past few weeks. He held out his hands across the table, patiently waiting for her eyes to focus back on him, and for her hands to slip inside his own.

"How are you holding up?" His eyes searched hers with concern.

"Not so well." She blinked sluggishly back at him, sniffling. "I think I'm catching a cold on top of it all. But this helps, thank you."

He squeezed her hands. "Just a few more hours to go and then you can sleep all you want."

She frowned morosely. "I can't believe I'm going to be sleeping Christmas Eve away."

"We'll wait for you, Shal, for however long you need to sleep." He lifted her hand, pressing a kiss into her knuckle. "If I have to bring all this to you, I will."

Her eyes instantly teared up, and she blinked rapidly, hating how overly emotional she was when she was exhausted. His thumb picked up a soothing caress against her palm, and she turned her gaze on the man before her. Snow fell softly in the window behind him, and in her blurry-eyed state, the bright Christmas lights seemed to cast him in a glowing spotlight just as _The Hallelujah Chorus_ suddenly sounded. She stared at him, saw his mouth moving, but heard no sound. A hand bumped her shoulder, and she blinked, startled as she realized a buxom waitress stood impatiently next to her and a radio was playing softly in the background. She glanced back at Brennan just as the bright, gaudy lights behind him changed from white to red, giving him a garish sunburned look. _You're losing it Shal._ She chuckled at the contrast, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Pancakes or waffles?" Brennan prompted again, giving her a concerned look.

"Oh, ah, waffles," She quickly decided, glancing up at the waitress, "Belgium waffles, with lots of strawberries and cream."

The sugar temporarily revived her, and she felt better as she watched Brennan finish his breakfast. Her eyes drifted over his shoulder to where Santa still sat, a toddler crying on his lap as a harried mother tried to snap a quick picture.

"What do you see?"

"Huh?" She focused back on Brennan.

"What do you see?" He smiled as he indicated his head behind him. "When you look at him, what are you seeing?"

She shrugged, blushing, a little embarrassed to be caught staring at Santa Claus.

Brennan grinned, reaching for her hands again. "Tell me."

"I know it's just a man in a red suit, but it represents childhood to me." She looked down, struggling for words. "My Dad used to take me to visit Santa Claus before…well, before."

Brennan squeezed her fingers in understanding.

"I like to remember," She shrugged again, "When things were simpler and happy."

"Are you happy now?" Brennan asked after a pause.

Her lips curved into a tender smile that lit up her eyes. "Oh yeah."

"Me too." He looked away after a moment, unable to bear the emotion in her eyes. "I've never been happier."

His soft confession touched her, and wordlessly, she stood up, sliding into his side of the booth and kissing him gently. His arms rose up to circle around her, holding her close, until the waitress appeared beside them, clearing her throat in disapproval.

"Let's go home, Shalimar" Brennan spoke quietly, resting his forehead against hers.

"Alright," She stood up, fighting a yawn as lethargic muscles protested the movement. Brennan smiled at her as he dropped a handful of bills on the table, wrapping his fingers around hers as he led her back to the car.

The drive back was quiet, and Shalimar's lids again grew heavy as she rested her head against the window. The snow fell heavier now, and evergreens bent in the weight of it. By the time they pulled into the garage, she was fighting to stay conscious, almost dizzy with the effort of it all. She started when she realized that they had already parked and that Brennan was waiting, holding her door open. She turned her head, staring at him with bleary eyes. Brennan's breath puffed against her cheek as he bent over her, unbuckling her seatbelt and sweeping her up in his arms. She heard Jesse's voice murmur as Brennan carried her down the hallway, heart pulsing with relief when he bypassed the lab and headed straight to her room. His arms lowered her, and then she was wrapped in blissfully soft comfort, her familiar pillow cuddled under her head.

"Sleep now, Shal." Brennan's lips brushed against her, his hands squeezing her shoulders before tucking soft blankets under her chin. She sighed, curling into a ball. _Finally._ She knew no more.

It might have been hours later or just minutes later, Shalimar wasn't sure, when faint voices permeated her dreamless sleep. She peered open one eye, head tilting when she realized one of the voices was Brennan's. _It was Christmas Eve_. Her eyes popped open at the thought, and she sat upright, glancing at the clock. It was just after eight o'clock; she had been sleeping for almost nine hours. Her head was heavy, tiredness lingering in her temple, throat sore, and nose stuffy with the start of a cold, but the anticipation of the evening drew her out of bed anyway. She padded down the hallway, yawning as she followed the voices, stopping short when she heard her name.

Around the corner, Brennan stared at Jesse. "You want me to wear what?"

Jesse smiled calmly. "Come on, man. A bet is a bet."

Brennan groaned. "You know how stupid I'll look?"

Jesse laughed. "That's the idea. Besides, you won't be alone. Come on, it'll be fun."

Shalimar grinned, sneaking past them as Brennan continued to grumble. Leave it to Jesse to find something that Brennan really hated. She couldn't wait to find out what it was.

Jesse chuckled to himself as he walked away from the pouting Elemental, congratulating himself on his brilliance. He stepped into his room, laughing again as he saw the bright red costume sitting on his bed. _Wait until the girls saw this_. He whistled softly as he pulled a bushy white beard out of a bag.

An hour later, Shalimar stepped out of the kitchen, not quite able to stop another yawn as she sniffled and headed towards the Rec Room. The Christmas lights were on, and soft music was piping in from somewhere. She breathed deeply, disappointed when she was too stuffed up to smell the pine scent she loved so much. She hated being sick. She frowned as she rounded the corner, laughter suddenly bubbling out of her as her eyes were immediately drawn to the tree, and the man sitting beside it.

Clad in a bright red suit, sat Santa Claus, mistletoe dangling above his fluffy hat.

_Brennan_. She suddenly knew what Jesse's bet was. Senses dulled, she tiptoed up to him, furtively glancing around to make sure the room was empty before tapping him on the shoulder and twining her arms around his neck, planting a big kiss on his surprised lips. She could hear the clicking of Lexa's heels approaching, so she drew back quickly, bringing his head down to whisper in his ear. "Meet me in my room tonight." She flashed him a flirty smile before twirling off in a cloud of golden hair, not realizing her mistake.

The room was silent for a moment as Santa stared slack-mouthed after her, hands finally rising to tug on his beard. The fluffy white piece fell from limp fingers to the floor, revealing the shocked face of one Jesse Kilmartin.


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I haven't started a new story yet, but I will be back as soon as I can! In the meantime, happy holidays to all of you! Thank you so much for all your support, encouragement, and enthusiasm! Thank you to hi, Kerry, Sunstar2, mfkngst, Jessica, Anne! KatKnits00, you got it! :) Thank you! CatJerica, Fiery Feral, Mayra, Rain, thank you so much for your consistent feedback. I can always count on you! Thank you! Blackpanther, thank you! Your review totally made my day! :) Mari, thank you for sharing your ideas with me, and for all your help and encouragement! Vivi, thank you for everything. Here is the last chapter, it's a long one! I hope you enjoy it! Thank you!

_"…But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" _

Twas the Chaos Before Christmas—Chapter Four

Though it was Christmas Eve, Brennan was having a hard time feeling very merry at the moment. He stared with disgust at the red and green striped costume sitting on his bed, courtesy of Jesse's bet. He picked up the droopy hat, putting it on his head, making a face into the mirror when he saw his comical reflection. Turning back to the bed, he dug through the rest of the costume, eyes widening when he saw stretchy, green tights at the bottom of the pile.

"Oh, hell no!" He yanked the fuzzy hat off his head, throwing it back onto the bed, muttering under his breath as he stormed around the room. "Jesse can say whatever he wants; I am not dressing up as an elf." He glared at the costume, frying the dancing puffy ball at the end of the hat for extra measure.

In the Rec Room, Jesse wasn't doing much better. He stared in the direction Shalimar had disappeared, eyes widening in shock, remembering snippets of conversation with her over the past few days. _Wow, Romantic, you look like you're waiting for someone…Maybe I am. _His stomach dropped. _I love you Jess…I love you too, Shal. _His eyes fell shut. _Meet me in my room later tonight. _Could it be possible? Was Shalimar...? He groaned, dropping his head into his hands.

"You don't look _that_ bad."

Lexa's amused voice startled him.

"Huh?"

"Your costume," Lexa indicated the red suit with a wave of her hand, "You actually look kind of cute."

"Oh...thanks." Jesse was obviously distracted.

"What's wrong, Jess?"

He finally looked back up at her. "I think I finally figured out what's been up with Shalimar." He eyed her carefully for a reaction.

Lexa smiled. "She's in love."

Jesse blanched. "And that doesn't, you know, bother you?"

She laughed. "I admit it's a little strange, but when you're attracted to someone, why fight it?" She slowly sidled up to Jesse as she spoke, fingers crawling up his chest to grasp his fuzzy white lapel, grinning as she kissed his cheek. "Mistletoe." She whispered at him, eyes indicating upward to his hat before leaving the room with a laugh.

Jesse swallowed, staring after her. _Both of them?_ He groaned again, legs collapsing beneath him as he sank bonelessly into the chair.

Shalimar smiled happily as she gathered up her small stack of gifts she had purchased for her family, glad she had at least managed to get them wrapped sometime last night during her never-ending vigil in the lab with Jesse. She had been so tired, most of the night was a blur in her mind, but she faintly remembered admonishing Jesse not to peek as she hastily wrapped presents behind him. She loved Christmas, and was anxious to find the others. She walked out of her room in time to see Brennan leaving his, dressed in the same clothes from that morning. _Too bad_. She kind of liked him in the Santa Suit.

"Hey," Brennan brightened when he saw her, jogging over to help her with her armful of presents. He bent down to kiss her, but she turned her head slightly, nose crinkling as she sniffed.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Bren," she warned him, "I don't want you to get sick as well. I shouldn't have kissed you earlier either." She hadn't been able to help herself when she saw him looking all plump and jolly in the red suit.

Brennan smiled as he remembered their kiss from that morning in the diner. "I think I'll take my chances," he whispered, eyes looking both ways before bending down and brushing his lips against hers, hand framing her cheek tenderly.

"Where's your costume?" She smiled at him as they broke apart.

Brennan cringed. _The blabbermouthed molecular must have already told the girls about it._ "I can't wear that thing, Shal. I don't know what Jesse was thinking."

"It's cute," She grinned at him as his cheeks colored with red.

_Green tights are not cute, Shalimar._ He shook his head as she nudged him with her shoulder, springing back when she suddenly sneezed loudly three times in a row.

"Sorry," She apologized sheepishly, pulling a tissue out of her pocket.

"That's ok, you missed." He laughed as she made a face. "Why don't we stick these presents under the tree and find the others, huh?"

"Yeah, ok." She glanced at him sideways, heart picking up a beat when she realized he carried her present for him in his hands. _Tomorrow he would open it._ Then he would know how she really felt about him. Instinctively, she knew that he already knew; the same way she already knew he felt the same toward her. She could feel it in the gentle tenderness of his kiss, could see it in his warm eyes as they drank her in. But it remained unspoken. She swallowed hard, reassured when she felt his fingers brush lightly against the small of her back, steering her down the hallway. His touch told her everything.

They found Jesse and Lexa sitting on the couch, watching a classic Christmas movie on TV. Shalimar perched on the edge of the couch next to Jesse as Brennan set the gifts under the tree. She was surprised when Jesse stiffened imperceptively. He tried to hide it with a smile, but it came out more of a grimace.

"Jesse?" She stared at him in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," He hated the flash of hurt in her eyes. "I'm ok." He patted her knee, drawing his hand back quickly and glancing at Lexa to see her reaction, relieved when she didn't seem to notice.

"So what do you guys want to do tonight?" Brennan sank into a side chair next to the couch.

"We should do something together," Shalimar decided, snuggling into Jesse's side.

Jesse froze.

"That sounds good." Lexa agreed, laying her hand on his other arm and smiling at him.

_Uh-oh._ Jesse couldn't breathe. He was stuck between them both. He chuckled nervously, looking up at Brennan. _Was it just his imagination, or was the larger man staring at him and Shalimar?_

Crap.

His breath escaped him in a loud intake of air, and both girls turned towards him in concern. "Jesse?"

He shot out of his seat, turning off the TV, babbling about the first thing to come to mind. "Food! Food is good, why don't we find something to eat?" He chuckled nervously again when he realized everyone was staring at him.

Brennan finally shook his head, standing up. "Ok, man. Food it is." He clapped his hand on Jesse's shoulder.

Jesse inched away from Brennan's strong fingers digging into his shoulder. He had to sort things out with Shalimar before they got out of control.

Shalimar tugged on Brennan's shirt as he made to follow after Jesse and Lexa to the kitchen. "Hey Bren?"

"Yeah?" He paused at her whisper.

"Keep an eye on Jesse, would you? He's acting kind of strange."

"Yeah," Brennan nodded in agreement, "I noticed that too."

"Thanks," Shalimar smiled at him, pushing up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss.

"I'm in the mood for cookies," Lexa announced as they trailed into the kitchen behind her. "Real, homemade Christmas cookies, the fattening kind." She grinned as Shalimar brightened in understanding.

"Sounds good."

Jesse watched as the girls dug wholeheartedly into the fridge, pulling out ingredients, arguing over whether to make frosted sugar cookies or gingerbread snaps. He squirmed when Brennan settled next to him at the table, handing him a beer.

They sat in silence, watching the girls as they began to mix things in a bowl. Christmas music was still piping through the halls, and Jesse found himself relaxing in the family atmosphere.

"So do you think Santa will make an appearance tonight?" Shalimar finally spoke, grinning coyly.

Jesse spat his drink across the room.

"Jesse?" For the second time in less than an hour, he found himself the object of attention. His eyes darted from Brennan's furrowed brows to Shalimar and Lexa, staring at him, dough dripping from their fingers.

"Ah, sorry," He found himself muttering an excuse, relieved when eyes were finally off him once more.

"Alright guys," Lexa eventually called them over, "Get off your butts and come help us." She tossed cookie cutters at them as Shalimar dusted flour over the rolled out dough.

Shalimar watched in amusement as Brennan tried time after time to pick up the cut out dough without breaking it.

"Damn," He muttered under his breath when a tiny leg broke off the reindeer he was trying to peel off the cutter.

"Here, Brennan," Shalimar's hands suddenly closed over his, laughter tickling his ear as she leaned into him, helping him maneuver the little shape. "See, very easy."

"Hmm, I think you better show me one more time," He grinned unabashedly, doughy fingers tapping her nose.

"Brennan!" She protested quietly, trying to rub dough off her nose, but only succeeding in smearing it around more, all of which flew off when she violently sneezed.

Brennan blinked in surprise when he found cookie dough all over his face.

_Splat._ A chunk fell off his forehead and landed on the counter. He raised his eyebrows as Shalimar giggled, hands covering her mouth. He roared, fisting a handful of dough and throwing it across the room.

Jesse felt sick as he watched Brennan's arms close around Shalimar from behind, pinning her arms to her side, dough falling from her fingers. He was laughing, nose pressed into her hair, and he was obviously enjoying himself.

Brennan liked Shalimar.

The thought hit Jesse, and he swallowed, throat suddenly tight at the realization of their growing triangle. _If anything, he would have thought Shalimar liked Brennan back, but now_… Lexa nudged him, grinning knowingly at the laughing pair, and he groaned under his breath. The triangle was getting crowded.

Cookies finally got made, and the scent wafted through Sanctuary. Even through her stuffy nose, Shalimar could smell the cozy scent, could taste the warm dough that crumbled on her tongue as she savored each bite, sitting curled up in front of the tree. She loved Christmas Eve. She watched the twinkling lights, lost in thought, smiling when through the peaceful silence she could hear Jesse and Lexa from somewhere nearby, singing carols slightly off key.

"Think they maybe had a little too much to drink?"

She startled when Brennan's hands slid along her shoulders, massaging gently as he sat down behind her. She hadn't even heard him approach. "They're good for each other." Shalimar smiled, leaning back into Brennan's chest as his legs spread out on either side of her. "They'll figure it out eventually."

"Like we did," Brennan chuckled into her hair, breathing in her scent, arms tightening around her. They were quiet, enjoying each other's company.

"Brennan?" Shalimar finally spoke.

"Yeah?"

She turned in his arms. "I know it's cold, but let's go outside for a little bit. I want to feel the fresh air."

He could never refuse her. "Alright." He pushed himself off the floor, holding out a hand to help her up. "But just remember whose idea this was when we're freezing out there."

"So noted." She laughed, taking his proffered hand.

Forty-five minutes later, even Brennan had to admit coming outside was a good idea. Although it was cold enough to steal away his breath, the crisp air made him feel alive. He watched Shalimar as she stood next to him, leaning into his bulk to block the wind, face tilted upward at the clear night sky. He had never really come out on the mountain at night, though he knew Shalimar often did, and as he looked up, he understood why. It was beautiful. Billions of stars fairly danced and twinkled; from atop the mountain, they stretched untouched for hundreds of miles. It felt like he could reach up and grab ahold of one, and in the magic of the moment, he almost believed he could.

"Isn't it amazing?" Shalimar spoke in a hushed tone. "I've dreamed so often of being up here with you." She flushed slightly at the confession, and he turned her, wrapping his arms around her. She tilted her head up to his, and in the curvature of the horizon, stars created a halo of light around her. For once there was little chance of them being interrupted, and he kissed her. Lips exploring, softly and gently, deepening as she readily responded.

"Well," His voice was breathless when they finally broke apart, "That'll keep me warm."

She smiled softly, searching his eyes. They had darkened to almost black; a look she was beginning to recognize as tenderness mixed with desire, and she shivered.

"You're cold," His hands rubbed up and down her arms, pulling her into his chest. She half expected him to jokingly comment on the irony, but he didn't, instead opening his coat and folding it around her. She immediately felt warmer and slid her hands around his waist and under his shirt, stroking his muscular back.

He hissed sharply at her touch. "Shal, your fingers are like ice."

"Poor baby," She murmured, looking back into his face. "I'll just have to warm you up some more."

His breath rasped, fogging in the cold air as he bent his head, kissing her once more.

Overhead, the stars continued to sparkle.

It was quite late when they finally snuck back into Sanctuary, going into their own rooms to change. Shalimar changed quickly, settling into bed to wait. And wait. Time passed, but still he didn't come, until finally she fell asleep waiting. The whispering creak of her door opening woke her up, and she grinned in anticipation as a figure peeked inside.

"I thought you'd never come." She whispered saucily in greeting.

Jesse froze at Shalimar's soft words, panicking. He had wanted to talk, to set things straight, but instead, he froze in shock.

"Jesse?" Shalimar sat up, clutching a blanket to her chest when she suddenly saw his face.

Another door creaked in the hallway, sounding loudly in the stillness of the night. Jesse made a strangled sound under his breath and backed out, slamming the door.

"Jesse!" Shalimar called, following after him into the hall, but he didn't stop.

"Shal?" Brennan appeared behind her. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," She shook her head in confusion. "Jesse came to my door, but then ran away. Do you think he's alright?" Concern edged her voice.

Brennan stared down the hallway in the direction Jesse had fled. "Maybe he's still a bit tipsy." He chuckled. "He did drink more than usual tonight."

"Yeah." Shalimar frowned thoughtfully. "I'm worried about him."

"Jesse?" Brennan ordered into his comlink. "Are you ok? Answer me."

"Yeah," Jesse's wary voice finally came through. "I'm about to fall asleep Brennan, I'll talk to you in the morning."

Brennan and Shalimar exchanged glances.

"Ok," Brennan shrugged, breaking the connection, expression softening as he looked back into her face. "Sorry I'm so late." He looked both ways, following her back into her room.

"What happened?" Shalimar smiled shyly as he pulled her into his arms. "I was afraid you weren't coming."

"I'll always come, Shal." Brennan dipped his head, capturing her lips. "Never doubt that." He took her hands, leading her to the bed. "I laid down for a moment and fell asleep." He shrugged sheepishly.

She crawled into the bed, curling into him as he spooned behind her, arms circling her waist. "Guess neither of us really slept last night."

He pushed strands of hair behind her ear, dropping a kiss onto the tender skin. "I'm just glad you're ok. It scared me, seeing you unconscious like that." He paused, and she waited, heart picking up speed. "Shalimar, I don't know where we're going with this, but I—I need you in my life."

She rolled, emotions swelling. "I need you in my life too." She reached up to kiss him, head turning at the last minute as a sneeze suddenly overtook her. She sneezed several times in a row, until Brennan released her, sitting up and grabbing a tissue from the nightstand.

"Sorry," She blew her nose, grimacing. "You shouldn't be here, you'll get sick."

He smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I told you, I don't care."

She sniffed, and he pulled her back into his arms, tucking her head under his chin, holding her sweetly as they drifted off to sleep.

He woke up with a sore throat.

Jesse fidgeted nervously as he waited by the tree with Lexa.

"Are you always this impatient to open presents?" Lexa shot him an amused look.

"What?" Jesse looked down at his hands, realizing he had practically mangled one of the gifts he was holding. "Oh."

Brennan and Shalimar clamoring into the room stilled Lexa's next question, and she shook her head, dismissing her worry in the cheerful banter of the Christmas morning.

"Merry Christmas!" Shalimar plopped in front of the tree with glee, looking for all the world like a little kid. Despite his worry, Jesse couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Where's Santa Claus?" Lexa grinned at Jesse.

"He'll make an appearance later," Jesse returned, smirking as Brennan paled.

"Great," Shalimar enthused, causing Jesse's smile to falter once more. Her head was buried, digging through presents, so she didn't notice. "Here, mine first." She flashed them an eager smile as she handed out her gifts, fingers lingering for just a moment as they brushed against Brennan's. He smiled at her, giving her a quick wink. She blushed, pulse hammering in her throat as she sat back down. _If he didn't know how she felt, he would know in a moment._ She watched as he opened the paper, sliding out a watch between his fingers. She glanced over her shoulder as Jesse opened a similar watch, turning back to Brennan in time to see him turning his over. _Now he would see her inscription_. Her heart pounded. Too quickly, Brennan turned the watch back over. Confused, she stared at him, startled when Jesse made a loud exclamation behind her, jumping to his feet and throwing down his watch.

_"Oh, no!" _Jesse's tongue stuttered in shock. _"No, no, no, no!"_

"Jesse?" Her eyes darted from Brennan to Jesse, torn. "Don't you like it?"

"Ah, Shalimar," Jesse hedged, taking a deep breath, "I, ah, I think we need to talk."

"Ok." She smiled quizzically, and his heart broke.

He didn't want to hurt her, he loved her too much. _Love._ He sank back to the floor, staring at the watch in his hands, or rather, at the inscription engraved boldly in the back. _Time with you has taught me the meaning of true love. _Oh God. He swallowed tightly.

Shalimar turned back to Brennan, eager to know his reaction.

"Thanks, Shal," Brennan smiled at her when he caught her gaze.

_Thanks? That's it? _Her shoulders drooped with disappointment. She wasn't sure what she expected to her declaration of love, but that wasn't it. She smiled wanly back at him.

_Achoo!_

Brennan suddenly sneezed, and she couldn't help the surge of warmth that spread over her. He had stayed with her and gotten sick for her; it had to mean something. She leaned over, smiling more widely. "Sorry, Bren."

He shrugged, staring into her eyes. "It was worth it."

Her heart stopped, then slammed in her chest, and she boldly leaned in closer. "So when do I get to see you as Santa again?"

"Santa?" Brennan frowned in confusion. "I'm not Santa."

_Achoo__! Achoo! _

Loud sneezing suddenly erupted behind them. They both froze, eyes widening as Jesse sneezed again.

_Achoo!_

"What?" Jesse looked up as he realized Brennan and Shalimar were both staring at him. He glanced at Lexa, but she only shrugged unknowingly.

"Jesse," Shalimar spoke slowly, horrifying awareness suddenly hitting her. "Did you dress up as Santa yesterday?"

"Yeah." Jesse shuffled his feet, aware of Brennan slowly standing up, "But you know that Shalimar, you kissed me."

"What?" Brennan and Lexa both yelled at once.

Shalimar's eyes fell shut in embarrassment.

"You kissed Shalimar?" Brennan suddenly turned on Jesse, eyes furious.

"No!" Jesse's voice came out loudly, hands rising in the air. "She kissed me!"

"What?" Brennan managed to croak out, knees turning to jelly beneath him, glaring at Jesse. "I don't believe you."

"It's true."

Shalimar's quiet voice stilled them all.

"What?" Brennan was starting to sound like a broken record.

Jesse knew he had to do something. "Shalimar," he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Shut up!" Brennan whirled around, fists clenched.

"Stop it!" Lexa's loud voice gave them pause. She stepped between them, Jesse's watch in her hands. "I think there's been a small mix-up here."

Jesse paled when he saw the engraved watch. "Lexa, I swear, I didn't—"

Shalimar saw the look on Jesse's face, stomach fluttering as she saw his eyes glued on the watch. _She didn't?_ She snatched the watch out of Lexa's hands, turning it over. _She did._ Her eyes closed in sudden understanding, relieved laughter bubbling out of her. It explained so much. She opened her eyes again, giggles dying when she saw the disbelief on Brennan's face. _Brennan!_ She held out her hand to him.

He hesitated, clearly hurt, but reached for her anyway, taking her hand. "Shal?"

She squeezed his fingers tightly, looking back at Jesse, who was watching them with mouth wide open. "I'm so sorry, Jesse. The kiss, the watch, it was all a mix-up. It wasn't supposed to be for you. I must have freaked you out pretty bad."

Jesse blinked, eyes darting between the couple, starting to catch on. "You mean--?"

"Yes." Shalimar met his gaze calmly, reddening slightly as Jesse's face revealed his thought process, knowing the instant he understood.

"You two?"

"Yes." Brennan finally spoke up, taking a step closer to Shalimar.

"When?" He shook his head in shock, mind reeling as he tried to grasp it all. It had been a chaotic couple of days.

"Jess," Lexa tugged on his arm. "Why don't we give them a moment alone."

"Shalimar." Brennan spoke her name quietly, and she turned to him. "Talk to me."

His face was slightly pinched, and she cupped his cheek, giving him a kiss. "Here, this was supposed to be for you." She held out the watch. "I must have been so out of it when I wrapped them that I mixed them up."

Brennan took the watch, not understanding until his fingers felt slight marring in the metal underside. He turned it over, sucking in a deep breath as he read the inscription. _Time with you has taught me the meaning of true love._ Relief and something inscrutable flashed across his face. Without a word, he turned on his heel.

"Brennan?" Shalimar stared after him in fear.

He came back, smiling softly as he held out a small gift wrapped in gold foil paper. "Here."

She took it, seeing her name in his bold handwriting. She glanced back up, but he just nodded to her. She tore the paper with trembling fingers, giving a frustrated sigh when she couldn't untie the ribbon fast enough. She finally yanked hard, sending ribbon bits flying. Brennan chuckled at her, but she couldn't look at him. A long, flat jewelry case slid into her hands when she finally got the paper off, and she stared at it for a moment, taking a deep breath before opening it.

Delicate gold winked back at her in the light, two hearts fused together on a slender chain.

"It's beautiful."

"Turn it over." Brennan spoke softly.

She carefully pulled the necklace out of the case, the metal cool in her shaking fingers. The hearts were small, but the words scripted on them were not. _Love will hold us together forever. _She stared at it, unable to speak.

"It's a little cheesy, I know," Brennan shrugged sheepishly when she didn't say anything, "But I wanted you to know how I feel. Looks like we had the same idea…" His rambling stuttered to a stop when she looked at him with shining eyes. He took a deep breath, lips curved into a smile, hands framing her face. "I love you, Shalimar."

"I love you too, Brennan." She looked down shyly, and his fingers tugged her chin back up, lips claiming hers.

"This is going to take some getting used to," Jesse muttered from across the room. "I had no idea."

"What did you think I was talking about?" Lexa grinned at him in amusement.

"I thought---I mean---oh never mind." Jesse turned bright red as Lexa laughed.

"Hey, Brennan?" Shalimar looked at him when they broke off the kiss.

"Yeah?" His thumb distractedly stroked her cheek.

"If Jesse's Santa Claus, who are you supposed to be?"

"Oh, just you wait and see!" Jesse's gleeful laugh interrupted them as it was Brennan's turn to flush.

"No, absolutely not." Brennan protested loudly, even as Jesse led him away.

"A bet is a bet." Jesse grinned mercilessly, pausing to look back over his shoulder at Shalimar. "Ah, Shal—"

"It's ok, Jesse. We're good." She smiled at him, knowing what he was going to say.

He smiled back. "Thanks." He turned back around, pushing Brennan out of the room. "I still want to know when all of this happened though!" His voice trailed after him as they disappeared from sight.

Shalimar stared, lips twitching when they both reappeared ten minutes later. His face matching the color of his tunic, Brennan was a strange mixture of red and green. She couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or sick. She took a moment to study him, smiling as he fidgeted under her gaze, bells merrily ringing as he shuffled his slippered feet. He grimaced at the sound. He wore a floppy, fuzzy hat on his head, a puffy ball on the end suspiciously scorched. A striped tunic covered his torso, and was just barely long enough to cover him up. _Oh my._ She grinned as he unconsciously crossed his legs. His legs looked ridiculously skinny in stretchy green tights, but lithe muscles flexed as he shuffled about. She drew her eyes slowly back up to his face.

"Shalimar," He growled in a whine as she continued to stare at him.

"This almost makes it all worth while." Jesse laughed as he came up to Shalimar.

"Nice belly." She patted his stuffed middle as he grinned at her.

"Merry Christmas," Jesse kissed her on the cheek, and she giggled when the white whiskers tickled her. "If he ever hurts you—" Jesse's eyes darted over to Brennan.

"He won't." She confidently interrupted him, smiling. "But thanks."

He smiled in understanding, heading toward Lexa next with a hearty, "_Ho-Ho-Ho!"_

Shalimar shook her head as they went running past her, Jesse losing stuffing as he struggled to run in his costume, laughter following them as they disappeared from sight.

As soon as they disappeared, Brennan whirled around.

"Where are you going?"

Shalimar's voice stopped him.

"To change," He crossed his arms, daring her to argue with him. "I kept my promise and put on the costume, now I'm done."

"Too bad." She let her eyes drag up and down the length of him.

"You've got to be kidding?!" Brennan groaned in disbelief at her look. "Green tights?!"

She sidled up to him, hands trailing up his arms and across his shoulders to tangle in the short hair at the back of his head, pulling him down for a kiss.

_Yep, green tights. _

Brennan grinned as he suddenly scooped her up in his arms, kissing her more deeply, eyes infinitely tender when he pulled away.

"Merry Christmas, Brennan," Her throat felt suddenly tight at the overwhelming love she felt for him.

He smiled back, brushing a kiss on her forehead and then over each eye, her lids falling shut under his gentle lips. He moved to her nose, and then when he would have next kissed her mouth, he paused, until her eyes flew open at the hesitation, widening when she saw the wonder and joy in his gaze. "Merry Christmas, Shal." His breath tickled her lips, teasing her with their nearness, before his lips closed the distance, telling her of his love.

In the corner, arms proudly outstretched, stood the Douglas Fir, bright lights winking in merry delight.

The End!

Happy Holidays!


End file.
